November 18, 2020
Attorneys hold a unique position in society and have a responsibility to be peacemakers. That starts with practicing with civility. Here’s how to do your part. Learn how to be mindful of others—and be aware of when you're potentially being uncivil—in the latest issue of Student Lawyer magazine.
November 01, 2020
Imagine being a third-year associate and heading to your first deposition without a more senior lawyer from the firm. You’ve sat second chair countless times, led the deposition for clients with the aid of partners, written and argued dozens of motions, and now gained the self-confidence—as well as
November 01, 2020
It should have been among the first courses you took. It’s far more important than civil procedure or property. It’s about what was already buried deep within you when you decided to go to law school.
As a stranger to the profession and to what
November 01, 2020
You’d have to have been cut off from all news for the past several years not to have heard the term microaggression. In its simplest terms, it’s an unintentional slight that’s usually based around someone’s identity.
For Simon Tam, the term means disrespect. It’s an
November 01, 2020
There’s no shortage of incivility in the country today. On what seems like a daily basis, we’re witness to more divisiveness, more violence, and more ugly rhetoric than I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we, as lawyers and future lawyers,
November 01, 2020
For all the lawyer jokes out there, and despite there obviously being some particularly rude law students, legal educators, and practicing attorneys, many more regularly practice politeness, especially in their professional roles.
Think, for example, of courtesies extended in courts, where attorneys must address judges
March 28, 2019
Get ready to navigate the fast-changing social terrain— during your summer externship, at your first off-campus interview, at a clerkship, or as you transition into your first “real world” job after your final semester—with these helpful tips from fellow students and legal professionals.
1. Think…and
February 15, 2017 Not only do lawyers serve as representatives of their clients, they serve as officers of the legal system and public citizens having special responsibility to the quality of justice. But how can lawyers go about being professionals while remaining civil with the person on the other side of the table?
Learn
February 09, 2017 Learn what civility means and the consequences of bad behavior in this free webinar, "Civility is the Core of Your Successful Career," on Feb. 15.
December 08, 2016 The November/December 2016 issue of Student Lawyer carries this one message: You can be civil and succeed as a lawyer. We teach you how to contend without being contentious, how to navigate office politics without alienating your co-workers, and update you on the DREAM Initiative and the Law Student Podcast.
December 01, 2016 You can zealously represent your clients without being a schmuck, and lawyers promise your career and your clients will be the beneficiaries.
December 01, 2016 It’s no coincidence that my editor’s note is in this issue, which focuses on civility. The topic is important to me, particularly because I plan to go into litigation after law school.
October 12, 2016 Quick: What do you think of when people mention law school?
Usually, two things come to mind: A lot of reading, and a lot of writing.
Just as important, however, is the ability to communicate with all the stakeholders in a legal matter, everyone from clients to opposing counsel to judges. Also
August 30, 2016 One of the first things law students are taught is that, as lawyers, they will be expected to “zealously represent” their clients. But what exactly does this mean?
Unfortunately, the imagery conjured by this turn of phrase only serves to perpetuate the pernicious notion—held by many non-lawyers—that lawyers will do anything
March 22, 2016 Numerous jurisdictions are recognizing and lamenting the deterioration of civility in the legal profession. Some may be tempted to attribute this decline in courtesy to the influx of newly minted millennial attorneys to the profession.
April 01, 2015
Many law students come to law school after being indoctrinated by television and movies, believing that an effective lawyer must be obstreperous, obnoxious, and rude to be successful. Lawyers, they believe, must fight their opponents on every point at every corner if they